Low Observable Principles, Stealth Aircraft and Anti-Stealth Technologies

Journal of Computations & Modelling, vol.4, no.1, 2014, 129-165 ISSN: 1792-7625 (print), 1792-8850 (online) Scienpress Ltd, 2014

Low Observable Principles, Stealth Aircraft and Anti-Stealth Technologies

Konstantinos Zikidis (Maj, HAF)1, Alexios Skondras (2nd Lt, HAF)2, Charisios Tokas (2nd Lt, HAF)3,

Abstract

During the last decades, stealth technology has proven to be one of the most effective approaches as far as the endeavor to hide from radar systems is concerned. Especially for military aircraft, "stealth" or "low observable" technology has become ubiquitous: all new aircraft types are designed taking into account low observable principles and techniques, while existing jet fighters are considered for modification in order to reduce their radar signature. Low radar signature for a target means that it is detected and tracked at a shorter distance from a radar.

However, low observable does not mean no observable, i.e., complete disappearance from the radar screens. Furthermore, stealthiness comes at a price. Apart from the development cost, stealth aircraft have higher flyaway cost and important maintenance costs, while they have significant operational limitations due to the specific aircraft shape imposed and materials used, and also due to the limited fuel and weapons, which have to be carried internally. Any pylon, tank, missile or pod carried externally increases the radar signature.

Having realized the capabilities of stealth aircraft, many countries have been developing anti-stealth technologies. The following systems have been reported to be potential counter-stealth approaches: passive / multistatic radars, very low frequency radars, over-the-horizon radars and sensitive IR sensor systems. It is commonly

1 Department of Aeronautical Sciences, Hellenic Air Force Academy, Dekelia Air Force Base, Attica, Greece E-mail: kzikidis@cs.ntua.gr 2 Department of Aeronautical Sciences, Hellenic Air Force Academy, Dekelia Air Force Base, Attica, Greece 3 Department of Aeronautical Sciences, Hellenic Air Force Academy, Dekelia Air Force Base, Attica, Greece

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accepted that the U.S. exhibit an important advantage on the stealth domain, while Russia and China are leading the anti-stealth effort, followed by other countries.

This paper will begin by a brief history of the development of stealth aircraft and a short presentation of the most important stealth fighters of today. It will continue by exploring the basic concepts of low observable principles, mainly reduction of RCS ? Radar Cross Section. Focusing on the F-35 stealth aircraft, there will be an attempt to calculate the expected detection ranges for a number of representative radar systems, taking into account an open-source estimation of the F35 fuselage RCS. Finally, there will be a brief presentation of systems which are reported to have anti-stealth capabilities. Considering all such anti-stealth proposals, it will become evident that no system alone seems to be capable of providing adequate protection: a suitable combination of radar, sensors, weapon systems, tactical data links, as well as tactics, should be employed to effectively counter stealth threats.

Keywords: Stealth aircraft, low observable, RCS, passive radars, multistatic radars, VHF radars, IR sensors, IR Search and Track.

Introduction ? Historical background of stealth aircraft

Man has always tried to evade the enemy by keeping his profile or "signature" low. In the past, that meant to take care and hide from the eyes of the enemy, i.e., to take into account the optical region. From the time of appearance and development of the radar systems, the meaning of hiding expanded also to other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Today, all military equipment take into account low observable principles (l.o.), trying to be discreet at all aspects, reducing acoustic, radio, radar and infrared emissions, as well as in the optical region, trying to blend into the surrounding environment.

Historically, the first attempt towards the construction of an aircraft with l.o. characteristics is considered to be the German Horten Ho-229, built a little before the end of WWII. That aircraft, which never saw operational action, is said to incorporate some special graphite paint absorbing radar waves. Its special "flying wing" shape is supposed to have inspired Northrop to design later the B-2 stealth bomber.

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Until the '70s, among the aircraft types which exhibited, intentionally or not, l.o. characteristics, one would include the British Avro Vulcan and two planes by Lockheed, the U-2 Dragon Lady and most notably the impressive, Mach 3+, SR-71 Blackbird. Despite the efforts mainly of the U.S., none of these aircraft was really difficult to detect by radar.

In the meantime, during the '60s, the Russian physicist Petr Ufimtsev studied the scattering of electromagnetic waves and formulated what is known today as the Physical Theory of Diffraction [1]. His work was not considered by the U.S.S.R. as classified and was published. The main conclusion of his work (although it may have not been explicitly stated) was that radar return is related to the edge configuration of an object, not its size. U.S. engineers came across Ufimtsev's work and realized that he had set the foundations of finite analysis of radar reflections [2]. The advances in computer technology during the '70s allowed the performance of computer simulations using concepts of Ufimtsev's work, while also allowed the design of flyby-wire systems, which would be essential for the control of aircraft not optimized from the aerodynamic point of view. Following all these, after the 1975 static model project Hopeless Diamond, Lockheed constructed two aircraft demonstrators, under the code name Have Blue. Although both planes were lost during flight testing, the program was deemed successful, proving the concept of a stealth fighter aircraft.

Figure 1. The Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk stealth ground attack aircraft. First flight in 1981, revealed to public in 1988, took part in all major conflicts and was retired in 2008. In the first Gulf war, it flew 1300 sorties, undetected and unharmed. It is true that if an F-117A was spotted during flight testing at Groom Lake (or Area 51, as it is most commonly known), in the '80s, it would be hard to realize that it is just a new jet fighter...Photo: public domain,

en.

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After the positive results of the Have Blue project, the U.S. awarded in 1978 a contract to Lockheed to develop the F-117A. First flight was in 1981 and initial operational capability was achieved in 1983. In total, 64 F-117s have been built. All this series of projects were "black", until late 1988, when the F-117A was revealed to public. Since then, it saw operational action in almost every conflict of the U.S. Until its retirement in 2008, the F-117A suffered only one loss due to enemy action, in 1999 in Kosovo war, when a Serbian Air Defense Battalion achieved to engage an F-117A, using modified targeting radar.

Shortly after the decision to develop the F-117A, the U.S. decided to develop also a long-range strategic bomber. In this way, the Northrop B-2 Spirit was born, a subsonic four-engine strategic stealth bomber, 20 of which are still operational today. The B-2 is capable to reach any place in the world (with air refueling), virtually undetectable. L.o. principles were applied also to the Rockwell B1, resulting to the B1-B Lancer supersonic strategic bomber, with lower radar signature but also lower maximum speed at high altitude with respect to the B1-A prototype. However, this compromise, along with several other improvements, allowed the rebirth of the B1 program, helping Rockwell (now part of Boeing) to obtain a contract for 100 aircraft.

2. Stealth Aircraft: Today

The F-117A, B-2 and B1-B can be regarded as the three emblematic l.o. aircraft of the late '80s [3]. Having realized the capabilities offered by l.o. technology, the U.S. went on developing a number of stealth jet fighters, such as:

1. The famous F-22A Raptor (first flight in 1997, production ended in 2011, with 195 planes built, 182 planes operational today): 5th generation air superiority stealth fighter. Lockheed Martin (L.M.) was the prime contractor and Boeing the main partner.

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Figure 2. An F-22A Raptor, ready to go (photo by USAF). A single-seat, twin-engine, supermaneuverable, 5th gen., air superiority stealth fighter. Taking into account its all-aspect

stealth, speed, agility, situational awareness and combat capabilities, it is considered as one of the most capable jet fighters today. The U.S. have decided not to export it.

2. The L.M. F-35 Lightning II, a multirole 5th gen. fighter with stealth capabilities (first flight in 2006, currently in initial production and testing). There are three variants, the F-35A CTOL (Conventional Take-Off and Landing), the F-35B STOVL (Short-Take Off and Vertical-Landing) and the F-35C CV (Carrier Variant). The F-35 is based on the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, which started in the mid '90s. In 2001 the L.M. X-35 won the JSF competition over the Boeing X-32. Consequently, L.M. was awarded the System Development and Demonstration contract, to develop the F-35, based on X-35. The development of the F-35 is funded primarily by the U.S. and also by several other partner-nations, at varying levels [4].

3. Boeing is proposing a l.o. variant of its venerable fighter F-15E, the F-15SE Silent Eagle. Initially, Boeing declared that the F-15SE would exhibit a l.o. level comparable to the one of a 5th gen. aircraft, implying the F-35 [5]. In the following days, a Boeing spokesman clarified that they meant that "the Silent Eagle could meet the level of stealth approved by the U.S. Government for release to international customers" [6], a point still reflected in their most recent description of F-15SE (Aug. 13) [7].

4. Also, Boeing has extensively applied l.o. techniques on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Furthermore, in August 2013, Boeing started flight-testing of the "Advanced Super Hornet", a new variant of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, with

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